Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Eyeliner Techniques, such as Tightlining

The year I learned about the tightlining technique (2009—I'm a late bloomer) was the single best beauty-related tip I had heard of since ... I don't know, maybe since dunking fingertips from a fresh manicure into a bowl of ice water. (Yes, I am old enough to have lived before nail polish hardeners were readily available.)

I'll just come out and say that I have never been a big fan of eyeliner. I have large, round, doe eyes with plenty of skin real estate, but the moment I applied eyeliner above the upper lashes, I'd see little beady piggy eyes staring back at me in the mirror. How could something so seemingly minor so drastically change the appearance of my eyes?

I realize that eyeliner is a desert-island item for many of you, but I had never mastered the look on me, despite repeated attempts over many years. I felt a bit vindicated for not towing the, um, line after I saw a Pixiwoo video where Sam demonstrates how to make large eyes appear smaller with the use of eyeliner and dark eyeshadow. In fact, the below video make it immediately clear why I had never felt comfortable wearing eyeliner all these years. On the flip side, I was nodding right along with the small-to-large-eyes demonstration ... right up until she decided to add eyeliner at around 09:20m. Immediately, the large, bright, open eye she had created closed up. Still very beautiful, but visibly smaller.

Maybe some of us don't need eyeliner. Despite dark-ash blonde hair, my lashes are a sooty charcoal fringe. Given my love of natural-looking makeup, it makes sense that I'd find a thick line alien on me. Sadly, however, my lashes aren't as thick as they once were. In fact, when I look closely at my naked lashes in a 10x magnifying mirror, I can see gaps where the roots meet the skin. Gaps.

Here's where tightlining became useful, by providing an application method where I could make my eyelashes look thicker and darker at the roots without giving the appearance of wearing any makeup at all. In fact, tightlining lets me easily skip mascara.

If you don't know how to tightline, here are the basic steps:

Wash your hands and make sure the brush you choose for your eyeliner product is clean.

Assemble the product of your choice (gel liner/brush, pencil, liquid eyeliner). All items must be at least water resistant.

Raise your lashes upward by gently lifting the eyelid skin in order to expose the inner skin area at the lash roots.

Look for tiny gaps between the hairs, and starting at the outer corner (where you'll want the most pigment) lightly wiggle the color from the brush or pencil into those gaps as close to the roots as possible.

[Optional] Tightline your lower lash line by wiggling color into the gaps from on top, between the roots and the water line.

That's it. It's up to you whether you choose a color that matches your lashes or something brighter. Be careful of shimmer products, where the particles can get into the eye and cause irritation. Those are probably best used over the upper lash line, not on the water line, and even then, sparingly. Our lashes have a purpose—to protect our eyes against dust, pollen, rain, and sun, not glitter.

One more tip: If you use waterproof liquid eyeliner, try not to blink until it sets or you could end up with color on your lower rim. It's hard! The applicator always tickles my eyes, and they water, so I tilt my head back, open my eyes very wide, and it seems that if I then blink, the lids do not touch. Also, any tears run out the outside corners of my eyes and down my temples, so nothing gets smudged.

The following video from Beau Nelson of Beauté Cosmetics is how I learned how to tightline.

If you don't have time to watch the video yet, I took a screen capture of the before-and-after image. Impressive, isn't it? The result is extremely natural looking, which is not going to appeal to those of you who like a retro cat eye/flick.

The tightlining method was such a revelation for me. I started with a synthetic flat liner brush and gel eyeliner, and then I discovered an excellent eyeliner brush after reading comments on The Non-blonde blog: The Paula Dorf Transformer brush is slightly curved to follow the curve of the eyelid. I gave this brush a cursory review in my 2011 Favorites post.

I still rarely use pencils, which apply too thick a line, so having the right brush makes all the difference when applying color both over and under the lashes.

My eyes often feel irritated when I tightline below the lash line, so I decided to try Laura Mercier's tightline method (who is credited with having coined the term), by applying color over the top. Tools useful for the job are the Hakuhodo K005 or one of the Paula Dorf bushes (angle liner or transformer). I push color into my lash roots to make the most unobtrusive line possible, sometimes using gel, but most often using powder. For example, I found that Alima eyeshadow used on a damp brush lasts all day and doesn't irritate my eyes (it's mineral based and gluten free).

Other powder products that I tried need to be stiff, even a little waxy, or super pigmented. Here are a few that I push into the lashes from above, occasionally using Paula Dorf Transformer liquid:

Alima Satin Matte Eyeliner (Black Violet)

Alima Satin Matte Eyeshadow (Lilac)

Bobbi Brown Matte Eyeshadow (Charcoal)

Laura Mercier Matte Eyeshadow (Deep Night)

Trish McEvoy Cream Eye Definer (Navy)--no added liquid necessary

What is your preferred eyeliner method? If you tightline, do you line above or below the lash line? What are your favorite products and tools to use?

UPDATE: After several months more of experimenting, I have found that nothing compares to using natural animal hair for tightlining—particularly the Hakuhodo K005 (aka the Kokutan Eyeshadow Brush SL, where only the ebony handle and black ferrule are different--same weasel brush head). I realize that many of you will only use synthetics, and to be sure, they do an excellent job, but the uncut weasel hairs get in between the lashes the way a flat liner brush cannot, lets me follow the natural curve of the eyelid more easily, and the natural hairs deposit color like no one's business. And if that weren't incentive enough, the Hakuhodo K005 ($18) costs less than the MC 212 flat liner ($23). I have nothing to gain by saying this; I don't work for Hakuhodo, and I receive no kickbacks or free product. The K005 is just one outstanding brush. Period.

60 comments:

I line under the lash line. I used the Tarte for Trueblood for this, it's the same effect and feeling as a liquid eyeliner, put in a pencil, super easy to use. Unfortunately it's was a limited collection.

Thank you! I didn't see it when I was in Sephora the other day, but I had forgotten to look. I was checking out the Amazonian clay stuff. I'll be going back shortly so I have added this liner to my list of things to check out.

I use the Chantecaille le stylo even though I don't think it's meant to be used for tightlining:) I raise my eyelids, wiggle the tip between the lash roots and then turn the tip on to its side and do the waterline as well (I need all the help I can get-I have sparse, stubby lashes!). It works like a dream and it doesn't transfer to my lower waterline which I hate. I love using the color navy; it really brings out the whites of my eyes.

I have tried using brushes, pencils- gel liners, powders- you name it, but the Chantecaille just works the best for me.

Geez, I have three Chantecaille Le Stylo, which I never use. I loved it at first, bought the other two, and I don't think I have ever used the black or indigo one, not once. I have used Revlon ColorStay to tightline, and I loved the inky blackness and the fact that I didn't have to wash a brush. The main issue with that is it isn't completely waterproof, and I'd end up with black eye boogers by mid afternoon.

I use eyeliner (tightlining especialy) mostly on special ocassions. Sometimes I line the upper lashes, but only half the lid.I try to use white liner on the waterline every day but sometimes I'm just too lazy.Lining the eyes gives amazing definiton but it's such hassle! Also, you can make your eyes look smaller if you don't know what you are doing!

Only half the lid is interesting. Do you really find it a hassle? What I find tiresome is removal. When i wear the gel liner under the lash line, I never quite get it all off, and that is probably why my eyes end up irritated. It's not like I can stick a cotton bot in there.

Tracy, are your lids really little? You always look like you have such big eyes in your photos. Are they hooded?

Anyway, I can't believe i haven't tried the LM cake eyeliner yet,since I really like so many of her products. Do you need to use water to activate it? And can you really apply it from underneath? I kinda want to get the one that's a dark blue, I think it's called Marine.

Yeah, they are little.They're not hooded, but you can see a sliver of lid space if I look straight at you. When I take pics I try to open my eyes by lifting the old eyebrows up a bit, so the lid shows more. I just use water-they say to get the activator but I find water works quite well for me. And yup-with a straight edge brush I can get right in there easily. I have a special 3 colour palette that came out last year that has 3 colours in it-the blue, brown and black.

Just stumbled across your blog this morning and tried this tightlining today for the first time and it works like a dream! I used what i had available which was Maybelline gel eyeliner and am very pleased with the result. Thank you so much.

Hi Zuzu, I was going to ask if you've used the LM cake and her brush, but I see you haven't. I've been tightliningbut using either powder eyeshadow or gel eyeliner, but it's been tough. I think part of it is that my tools are meh (so I'm looking at the LM flat brush) and that I have an epicanthic fold (East Asian heritage here), so getting to the inner part of the eye is tough.

In general love eyeliners, in all manners and techniques. Though my eyes are on the small side, I do love the high contract look of a dark waterline depending on the look. And a gorgeously executed cat eye is to die for. Unfortunately, my eyes are uneven so a cat eye always looks weird. But so what! Love eyeliners!

I cannot do a cat eye! I know that ours are more like sisters than twins, but I just can't get the winged effect to look even, no matter how I try. Plus, age has started to create a little sagging at the outer corners, so what looks tight and crisp on application looks like a drunken mess when I let the eyelid skin go. ;)

I also like the look of pigment in the water line, even the lighter, eye-brightening kind, but I blink that away in a matter of seconds.

I guess it comes down to being sort of rushed/lazy in the mornign (not to mention my 4:45 AM time at the mirror is inhumane), so I go with the easiest, least error-prone method.

Tightlining my upper lash line was my most monumental makeup discovery as well. I don't know how I survived without it. I have very small eyes and eyeliner always took over my whole look. I had already become skilled at doing a very small line close to the lashes but tightlining was a miracle for me. I hope more people like Cindy discover this trick through your post. I've thought about posting about it forever but I don't think I ever have.

It's funny how we take the little things for granted, even though discovering them had been earth shattering for us. I have been trying this year to appreciate not only what I have but the smaller things about my routine.

I've been finding lately that poking a thin line into the lash roots from above doesn't give the same impact as a nice, even line from underneath. I keep going back to that Beau Nelson video and, no matter how many times I watch it, I am so impressed by the difference.

Absolutely! I'd love to see the effect of contouring on me. It's not a product I'd buy for myself because I can never find anything in brown that looks good on my skin, which is very cool toned. So instead of adding contour, I add light to the higher planes by wearing very subtle highlighter on my cheekbones or a glowy blush.

As an aside, one positive outcome from aging is fat loss to the face. That's both good and bad because if you are already quite thin, you can look gaunt. I don't have that problem. ;) So I am enjoying seeing cheekbones on what has always been a very round face for the first time in my life. I don't know how I got dealt the cherubic face card. My mother had cheekbones that could slice paper.

I have never commented on a blog before, but i feel less of the crazy now i know i am not the only one whose life has been changed by tightlining!! It sounds like i have a similar eyeshape to your's and i could never get on with regular lining techniques. It's amazing the difference tightlining makes, gives great definition but still so subtle. FYI my liner of choice is the Smashbox Jet Set liner in Midnight Black. It's slightly more thick and "pasty" than other gel liners i have tried, so i find it is great for pushing into the roots of the lashes. Ok, i will stop now, i could talk about this all day lol :)

I like eyelining of any nature as if you didn't know. I use many different brushes just for that area alone only because I love eyeliner. Just did a tutorial on how to elongate round eyes with eyeliner.

Yesterday, I gave in to the invitation of a store beauty consultant, the Laura Mercier specialist. She showed me tightlining with a flat end brush and the LM cake eyeliner in black. Too defined for me, I thought, but bought the charcoal grey. She didn't try to sell me on anything but tap water. This morning: success! An almost natural look, just slightly more in focus. First new technique I've adopted for year.Olderthanyouthink

I'm glad it worked, OTYT! I saw those little cake liners in Sephora the other day but did not buy one. Maybe I should have, but I went home with her eyeshadow in Deep Night, which I have been pushing into the lash line ever since and love it!

Great post! I first learned about tightlining when I started watching YouTube tutorials a few years ago. I'm so pale and without eyeliner my eyes just kind of disappear. A makeup artist at Giorgio Armani also recommended tightlining to me in a makeover last year, just the same way as shown in the Beau Nelson photographs. It's amazing how this subtle technique makes such an improvement in overall appearance! :)

I have HUGE lid space, but tightlining is still a huge discovery for me. I am super pale strawberry blonde, so when I put on eyeliner and mascara, there was always a gap between the line and my lashes. when I learned how to tightline, it was a miracle. It was literally the difference between amateur and professional makeup. Every time I tightline, I get compliments on my makeup.

Wow, huh. I've slowly gotten away from using eyeliner over the years, but came up with the method you describe at the end on my own, basically wiggling Larenim powder from the top deep into the lash root. It's nice to have a name and more targeted advice for the method. I have wondered if it would be easier with a better brush. I've also wondered how to get a little more drama for evening outings (usually I go for a smokey/baby cat-eye technique), so maybe I will give the trick of lining the top lashes from underneath a try, perhaps even with a fun/unexpected color. I've used a similar method a couple of times on the bottom, lining the waterline in a light color, after watching a youtube tutorial on anime eyes (big, open eyes). However I have a rule to never, ever pull at my eyes/lids to apply makeup so we'll see how I manage. :)

I don't imagine lining the inner lids will become an everyday technique for me, as my eyes are sensitive and it's some extra precision work, but I like it for special occasions and going out. And I like lining from above with a powder as an alternative to wearing, and then dealing with removing, mascara.

Claire, my eyes are really sensitive, too. Sometimes I can tightline with no issue and sometimes it makes my eyes water all day so I can't wait to get home and remove my makeup. Oh, and waterproof, gel eyeliner applied to the waterline can be difficult to remove since we don't actually expose that part of our skin to soap and water.

Also, I am a bit lazy and don't like washing brushes, so like you, my preferred method is to push a pigmented powder deep into the lash roots from above. It all comes off much easier that way, and there's virtually no eye irritation unless I accidentally flick fallout onto my eyeballs!

Thanks for the responses here and at Privilege! I replied back to you over there (about rosacea) but wasn't sure if you'd still be checking, so wanted to say thanks here too, and would love to know if Dusk til Dawn recovery works for you (as a side benefit it also turned out to be great for managing my oily pores).

You know, I want stuff to rinse off easily so I just avoid waterproof altogether. I like to use simple, quality loose eye powders from Larenim so I definitely have to watch out for those flecks getting everywhere, lol! This might sound a bit weird, but my trick to is to load up the tip of the brush, tap it off well, then hold it just inside my mouth for a few seconds and breathe hot air on it (you know like when you want to draw something on a window pane on a cold day). That tiny bit of moisture helps things stick together without having to deal with fully "wetting" the brush and having to clean it so often. Hope that made sense, ha. :)

That's a weird but excellent tip! It makes complete sense. I *ADORE* Alima Pure eyeshadow colors, but I really dislike loose pigment in general because of the mess. Maybe I will give your breath trick a try because Bramble is the most beautiful eyeshadow color ever.

I have not yet purchased D2D; I have lots of stuff I need to use up first, and I always introduce one new skincare product at a time; I am sure you know what I mean. Then if my skin reacts, it's much easier to identify the culprit.

Do you know how to do a J&J Baby Shampoo eye bath? I have done it in the past for mild eye infection (blepharitis or a stye), but I have a friend with ocular rocacea who does the eye wash twice a day, and she says it makes all the difference.

I have the opposite issue: I'm great with all kinds of eyeliners, even the boldest winged eyeliners look great on me.

Yet, I always get frustrated after attempts to use eyeshadows, it was ALWAYS such a disappointment, no matter how many tutorials of Lisa Eldridge I've been watching :).

My face is all about graphics and definition and not so much about "natural look" which ends up boring on me. The technique you present here when I first met I was very exited about it, but again, after trying it-it was too boring :)

I can imagine if you are high contrast and/or prefer a dramatic look, tightlining would be far too subtle. As for eyeshadow, luckily for you that with winger eyeliner, you need little else than a single wash of color, if even that. The wing is its own adornment. (:

So true! I wanted Snow White coloring like my father had (now he looks more like Grumpy), but instead of white, translucent skin and ice blue eyes with black hair, I got roses-and-cream skin, blended eyes (grey/green/blue/yellow) and mouse hair!

You probably already know this, but I just want to clarify that I don't tightline the upper water line with powder shadow—I only use a waterproof product there. I do push powder eyeshadow into the lash line from above, and it does fade a little by the end of the day. By design, a powder-based eyeshadow applies more softly and a little more smudgy than the precise, sharp line you can achieve with a gel or liquid product. Between the two is pencil.

If you want to use powder eyeshadow as an eyeliner, but you either want it to last all day or you want a more defined line, you have two options: a powder shadow designed specifically for lining or wet application with your regular shadow.

Water does a pretty good job of setting powder shadow, but a product like Paula Dorf Transfomer takes any powder shadow, no matter how soft and blendable, and makes it bulletproof.

To use the wet method with any eyeshadow, you can either dampen your brush with water and pick up pigment from a corner of the pan (assuming you want to still use it as eyeshadow, in which case you want to prevent most of the surface from becoming wet), or you squeeze a drop of Paula Dorf Transformer onto a clean tile or in a clean bottle cap, load the brush with pigment, and mix it with the liquid on your tile/cap, and then line your eyes the way you normally would.

Water application is more forgiving, but you need to work more quickly with a product like Transformer, which will set the powder much the way a gel or liquid liner sets.

With a damp brush, you can wiggle the brush tip into the roots from above the top lashes, and you can also push the pigment into the roots of the bottom lashes from above, just outside the water line. There should be no flyaway since the powder is weighed down with liquid, so this method should not irritate the eyes, but it depends on how sensitive your eyes are.

If you don't want to go through the hassle of wet application, I'd recommend a powder eyeshadow that's designed specifically to be an eyeliner, such as Trish McEvoy Eye Definer or one of the Bobbi Brown matte shadows. Because the texture of both TM and BB shadows are stiff and a little "waxy," they are not suitable to be used as eyeshadow because they don't blend well in the crease. Both make excellent liners that stay on quite well, but remember that as powder, they will be slightly smudgy looking upon application unless you use them wet. Trish has a small selection (I use Navy, which has been discontinued) and BB's liner-shadows come in a variety of colors: Navy, Black Plum, Charcoal, Mahogany, Espresso, Caviar, and perhaps others. Although they apply more softly and slightly diffused that traditional eyeliner, I have not experienced any smudge-migration (no raccoon eyes).

No real reason other than I can use the PD Transformer with ANY eyeshadow. I prefer LM Deep Night eyeshadow, in particular, because it's a perfect deep blue for me, not too dark. Some navies (like Bobbi Brown's) can lean into black territory. Although Deep Night is a very dark blue, it's still blue, and it looks good on my eyes.

That said, Bobbi Brown's are excellent, particularly Mahogany, Navy, and Charcoal. I also have Mink, but I think that has been discontinued. The only reason I no longer have them is because they would be duplicates of colors I already have, and since it would take me a eleventy billion years to use up an eyeliner-only eyeshadow pan, I need only one.

Zuzu, I think I lurve your blog. I have been browsing your archives and rereading (!) my favourite posts and I've become infatuated with eyeliner sealers. I quietly jumped up and down when I spotted Paula Dorf products at a boutique store I happened upon last month. I immediately tested the PD Transformer on my hand; unfortunately I didn't think to try the Tightline Brush.

You make the PDT sound great but I'm going to go with a cheaper alternative first. I may even DIY my own transformer brush. I hope it works for me. :)

Honestly, if you find a cheaper version, I suspect they are all the same. I would read my ingredients off to you, but I have handled my bottle for so many years, the writing is nearly all rubbed off the back. I am not sure what it is, as it's a tiny bit thicker than water. Maye some kind of glycerine solution? Anyway, I love that I can transform any eyehsadow into eyeliner (most traditional kinds are too dark for under my eyes, which is where making my own comes in handy), but do remember to always use just a corner of the pan, not the center.

I'm glad you're getting some enjoyment out of the archives. Someone mentioned I'd written a bag lady post, but I can't for the life of me remember that one!!

I don't remember any "bag lady post". I'm intrigued though. I've never seen you in a bag lady light. :DI'm also a fan of the versatility an eyeshadow transformer offers. I like how my eyeshadows will be able to perform double duty, which means I can get rid of (or not repurchase) my two eyeliners. I'm interested in nearly anything that can reduce my stash.

Ooh. I'm intrigued. I want to do the same.I've got a bunch of things up for swap on MUA, but I might donate all the new stuff to a women's shelter to get it out of my home.Would you email me a sneak peak?

Oh gosh -- you misunderstood me! I didn't want you to email me a sneak peek of your blog sale as that would be unfair. I wanted to know what made the cut to *stay* in your stash. I thought you had further refined your go-to line-up.

I have tried 'tightlining' from above with some success. This post has given me new hope that I can tightline from underneath ... I have several brushes to do this with but I think I will first try it with my NARS push brush ... I purchased it for this purpose in the first place! lol Thank you very much for this post ... very helpful and one I shall refer back to I am sure! ox

Trawling through your fantastic blog, I love how you write btw, and found this and was thinking "I tightline from above, seriously how different can it be?" But thought I'd work with you and nipped downstairs to my bedroom, nabbed a black powder shadow, straight brush and some water and went to work. Oh my giddy Aunt! Why did no one tell me? Forget teaching our daughters about boys and periods we need to be teaching them to tightline from below, its a miracle and I love it! I have always wondered how anyone could manage to light line right into the inner corner, if I do it from above my eyes freak out loads of blinking and watering, do it from below and they don't budge. Wow.

I have used Revlon Colorstay (liquid) in blackest black to tightline. It seems water resistant instead of bulletproof, like the gel liners, but I love how easy it is, and no brush to clean! If I cry, though, I end up looking like that X-Files episode with black oil in my eyes. :)

My favorite tightline product right now is Laura Mercier cake eyeliner. I was skeptical that adding water to a pressed-powder cake would last all day, but it does, and it irritates my eyeballs FAR less than gel liners and their ilk.